SFA or LHA for backpack camping in Central Canada?

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Repliqwtl

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Nov 29, 2012
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Hi!

I've been doing a lot of research over the past couple of weeks, since I am looking to get a new axe for my camping trips come spring and summer. I mostly camp in central Ontario and Quebec, and I'm looking to buy a good mid-sized axe to take with me backpacking and canoe camping. I feel as though I have more or less settled on either the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe or the Wetterlings Large Hunting Axe. I find both appealing, and there is only a 10$ difference between the two, from what I have seen online here in Canada. The main point I am considering is therefore the bit-shape. I know that the LHA has a thicker bit that is a little stockier, as compared to the thinner and longer SFA.

My biggest question is whether there is an appreciable difference between the two axes, in practice, due to their different bits, and which would be best suited to the types of wood I'm most likely to be dealing with in my area. I'm particularly interested in the experiences of those who live and camp in similar areas, arboreally.

Thanks for any help!

P.S. I was also entertaining the notion of a Condor axe. Either their Greenland Pattern or Woodworker Axe. Anyone have any experience with either of those as well? Thanks!
 
I own both, and I'd recommend buying the Gransfors Bruks. For $10 more, you get a 20 year warranty, higher quality control, and more consistent steel. Condor axes have a come a long way, but their edges are still a bit thick. I think you'll be quite pleased with the SFA.
 
Would you say that, in your experience, the bit geometries have had any substantial difference on how the axes perform at certain tasks? A lot of people say that the thinner GB bit is better for cutting but could have more trouble with splitting (such as sticking), with the opposite being true for the thicker Wetterlings blade (being a better splitter than cutter). Has your experience substantiated any of those differences, or do you find them pretty similar in practice?
 
Unless you have many years of experience, you won't notice that much of a difference in the splitting ability between the two. As to the bit profile, the Gransfors aren't as thin as many think they are. The area before the bit is generally thinner than many axes, like the Wetterlings and Council Tool axes, but the edge itself is actually a fairly robust convex. This makes Gransfors release easy from the cut. Also, Gransfors perform fine carving tasks better than most axes simply because the factory profile is done right.

Back when Wetterlings were almost half the price, I would have recommended them, but at almost the same price, the Gransfors is far superior, even if just for the warranty alone.
 
Great! Well, thanks a lot for the response coloradowildman! Was exactly the kind of hands on experience I was hoping to be able to hear about. The idea of buying an axe I can't hold first makes me pretty uncomfortable, so I'm gonna wait until I have a chance to hit up the Lee Valley in Ottawa to try out some of the Gransfors there. But it helps make my decision easier in one sense at least.

Appreciate it!
 
Repliqwtl said:
Great! Well, thanks a lot for the response coloradowildman! Was exactly the kind of hands on experience I was hoping to be able to hear about. The idea of buying an axe I can't hold first makes me pretty uncomfortable, so I'm gonna wait until I have a chance to hit up the Lee Valley in Ottawa to try out some of the Gransfors there. But it helps make my decision easier in one sense at least.

Appreciate it!
Click to expand...

Sure, glad I could help. If you want to try a cheaper axe in the same vein as the Gransfors and Wetterlings, try the Gerber Camp Axe II. It's not as balanced as a traditional axe, but it's comfortable, chops and feathers as well as my Wetterlings, splits better, and can be used two handed, even though the handle is slightly shorter. It's made by Fiskars in Finland, so it's an X-series axe (excellent). Great way to get your feet wet without breaking the bank.
 
Repliqwtl said:
Great! Well, thanks a lot for the response coloradowildman! Was exactly the kind of hands on experience I was hoping to be able to hear about. The idea of buying an axe I can't hold first makes me pretty uncomfortable, so I'm gonna wait until I have a chance to hit up the Lee Valley in Ottawa to try out some of the Gransfors there. But it helps make my decision easier in one sense at least.

Appreciate it!
Click to expand...

EDITED- duplicate post
 
I actually have a Fiskars 14" right now, and I haven't been too happy with it. I'm thinking that this has a lot to do with the incredibly shoddy cutting edge it comes with. A few weeks work and the edge had been badly chipped and broken. It's given me a great opportunity to practice my filing and sharpening though! I'm in the process of rehabilitating it, so I'm lookin forward to testing it out after that.

For next summer, I'm looking for something a little more traditional and durable though. The balance on the Fiskars really manages to throw me off, still. I'll give it a fair shake again though.
 
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